Spring-tongue snap.



J. B. BAXTER.

SPRING TONGUE SNAP.

. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 14, 1909. 1,0325369, A Patented July 16, 1912.

2 BHEETSSHEET 1.

gvwwwboz J. B. BAXTER.

SPRING TONGUE SNAP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14, 1909. 1,032,369. Patented July 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2v barren sra'rns :rarnn'r orricn JOHN BROWN BAXTER, OF WATERVLIET, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO COVERT MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF WATERVLIET, NEW YORK.

SPRING-TONGUE SNAP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. Baxrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVatervliet, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring- Tongue Snaps, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to.

found in the past quite difficult to properlyproduce the tongue part by casting and to have the members properly fitted for relative movement. It has also been suggested in the past to form a casting or body part of the snap hook with the cheek pieces having lugs or a cross bar and to pivot the spring actuated tongue on the cross bar lugs. In constructing a snap hook with a pivoted tongue, much care is required in forming the pivotal connection to prevent binding and in case where the pivot is in the form of a cross bar, the end of the tongue has been bifurcated, the ends of the bifurcation being turned around to encompass the bearing or bar. In bending the ends of the bifurcated parts of the tongue, the bar is very frequently bound tightly within the slot or bifurcation to an extent at least to render it exceedingly hard to opcrate the tongue.

My lnvention is designed to overcome the ObJBQlJlOHS heretofore existlng and in addition thereto to provide a tongue which can be readily applied to the pivot bar or lug in a manner which will prevent binding or adherence of the parts and still to render the parts strong and durable against the natural upward thrust of the loop or ring confined in the hook. As is well known, a ring or loop confined in a hook has a movement against the tongue tending to force the tongue upward. With prior structures having parts bent around the pintle or cross bar, the lifted blow of the ring or loop has tended to open out the embracing portions of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 14, 1909.

Patented July 1c, 1912. Serial No. 522,665.

the tongue part at the bearing and will thus render the hook practically useless. With my construction, such an objection is avoided.

In the accompanying drawings is shown an embodiment of the invention, as well as certain modified forms, but I would desire it understood that various changes and alterations can be made without departing from the nature and principle of the invention. It is also to be understood that other advantages than those heretofore mentioned are secured by the invention presently to be described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tongue showing the parts in position for application to the casting; Fig. 2 represents a convenient form of spring in perspective; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the casting; Fig. 4 is an elevation partly in section of the assembled hook; Fig. 5 is a bot-tom plan of the same; Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 6-6 of Fig.4; Fig. 7 is an elevation of a modified form of hook; Fig. 8 is a similar view showing parts in section; Fig. 9 is a top plan view; Figs. 10 and 11 are elevations and partial sectional views of a modified form of structure; and Fig. 12 is a cross section through the line 12-12 of Fig. 10.

In the drawing, A designates a loop of any convenient form, B the hook part, and C the cheek parts of the casting or body portion of the hook. This casting is of the usual or any convenient form and has a cross bar D spanning the space between the cheek pieces at a point near the rear ends thereof slightly above the lowermost edges. This bar D is cut away on its rear face, as at d, lZ-O fOI'Dl a spring seat or part around which the actuating spring E is bent or placed. The seat is of a width substantially that of the spring and at opposite ends of the seat the bar is of cylindrical formation, as shown.

F designates the tongue which is made conveniently of sheet metal, properly stamped or formed to constitute a hollow stem part and preferably two depending a.

ear parts f. These ear parts are spaced apart so as to fit against the inner faces of the cheek O, preventing thereby lateral movement of the tongue.

F is a continuation of the body part of the tongue, the same constituting a lip which is normally bent down slightly, as shown in Fig. 1. Entering from the rear edge of the ears f of the tongue part are U-shaped recesses f of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the cross bar or pintle D. The length of the recesses f are slightly greater than the diameter of the pint-1e or bar D, so that the extreme ends of the side walls of the recess will stand slightly rearwardly' beyond the plane of the cross bar, when the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 4. When the parts are assembled, the lip F is bent down around the curved edge of the ear parts of the tongue member to closely fit the said parts and to span the open ends of the recesses f thus effecting a closure for the recesses lying slightly beyond the plane of the confined cross bar. The recesses f are, as shown, substantially horizontally disposed, so that the lower part of the ear will project di rectly below the pintle or cross bar D. This is important, inasmuch as the thrusts or upward pressure against the tongue will be received by a permanently fixed part of the tongue, supplemented by an underhanging curved part of the lip F. By this means, the tongue is held in its proper position against the battering or hammering of the confined loop or ring and the parts are rendered easily operable at all times. By having the recess cut in the pintle or bar D and projecting the spring E t-hereabout, as shown in Fig. l, the springis advanced somewhat beyond the bent over confining lip F and is thus prevented from coming in contact therewith, which otherwise would result in an objectionable squeak to the parts in operation, and would tend to wear the spring. At the same time the cross bar is maintained in a uniform thickness throughout the greater portion and is not impaired materially in strength. The spring E has conveniently one end e bent slightly downward, as is the usual practice, the bent end taking back of a projection e on the casting near the forward end of the recesses between the cheeks thereof. 7

The tongue construction as above described can be made of sheet metal or, if desired, can be cast, and the parts assembled with but little trouble, and in assembling the lip F is bent down into position, a finished article is thus produced designed well to meet all the requirements of service and to resist shocks and battering of the;

confined ring or loop. When-the parts are so arranged, it will be observed that the back portion of the hook is closed, while a small gap is left between the end of the lip F and the bottom wall of the casting. This is advantageous in that it allows dirt or foreign matter to readily escape from the chamber between the cheeks in the casting.- In Figs. 7, 8 and 9, a snap hook of some-- what similar construction is shown without, however, the employment of the loop. The casting B of this modified form has the cross bar B which is also cut away to receive the spring as in the other form, while the lip F is extended down across the recesses, which latter are located adjacent the lower ends of the ears f The spring E is placed around the cross bar and is confined above the end of the lip in a manner similar to that heretofore described.

In Figs. 10, 11 and 12, a modified form of hook is shown, wherein the casting C is narrowed somewhat at its base or rear portion and the bar of the loop A constitutes the pivotal bar around which the tongue H is secured. The tongue of this modified form is fashioned to embrace the shank of the casting C the ears h embracing the rear part of the casting and having the horizontally arranged recesses which embrace the attaching portions of the loop A The lip h is bent around the bearing formed by the recesses, while the length of the bearing or recess in each ear is of a depth greater than that of the diameter of the pivotal bar. To steady the forward end of the tongue part of the hook, depending finger parts H are extended from the body of the tongue, the lower ends embracing closely the sides of the casting. In this form of hook, it has been found convenient to extend the spring part around its lug J formed on one of the ear parts of the tongue, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. It has also been found convenient to form a hook shaped retaining lug K on the casting, the book of which overlies the lower part of the spring and assists in maintaining the spring, in this modified form, in its proper position.

In casting snap hooks, it has been ascertained that it is quite impossible to secure uniform sizes of the various parts, owing to shrinkage and sand condition. It has also been found exceedingly difiicult to produce a spring tongue snap hook by casting without punching or finishing the pivotal joints. By my construction, I am enabled to either cast or form the parts of sheet metal and still readily assemble the parts in a manner which would result in an easy and satisfactory operation of the hook. While I have therefore shown the tongue part as being of sheet metal formed to shape, I desire it understood that the invention is not specifically limited to such type of tongue.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a snap hook of the character described and in combination, a body part provided with a hook portion and a tongue bearing part located at the rear and extending transprovided with recesses adapted to receive the said bearing part, said recesses entering from the rear of the ears, and of a depth greater than the diameter of the bearing part and a bendable portion independent of the ear portions adapted to'be bent to ex out binding the parts onto the said bearing 10 member, substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOHN BROWN BAXTER.

tend across the open mouths of the recessed Witnesses: portions of the ears and to close the same E. B. COVERT, whereby the tongue is held in position With- Gno. I-I. LEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

